U.S. ally joins Arroyo cabinet

Going home: the U.S. mission kicked off in February

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- A new Philippine foreign affairs secretary in favor of U.S. military presence in the country has joined President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's cabinet.

Blas Ople, a former journalist and head of the Senate foreign relations committee, takes over the duties once assigned to Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr.

Guingona quit as foreign affairs secretary earlier this month, admitting differences with President Arroyo on foreign policy and the issue of Philippine sovereignty.

Guingona has been critical of President Arroyo's all-out support for the U.S.-led global war against terrorism, particularly the holding of bilateral war games in the southern strongholds of the Abu Sayyaf, which the U.S. has linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

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Both the Philippine and U.S. governments have hailed the war games a success, despite a messy rescue attempt in June that left American missionary Martin Burnham and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap dead.

The U.S. troops wind up their mission in the Philippines Wednesday.

Powell pleaser

Ople's appointment is seen as a fitting welcome for U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who visits the Philippines on Friday.

Powell will continue discussions on counter-terrorism with Arroyo, in the last leg of his Asian tour.

As a lawmaker, Ople voted in favor of the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement that allowed the re-entry of U.S. troops in the country, seven years after American military bases were booted out by the Philippine Senate.

Opposition lawmakers see Ople paving a smoother way for future military agreements between the U.S. and the Philippines, even as local militant groups vowed more anti-U.S. protests after the Arroyo government said more war games would resume in October.

The Arroyo government denies that Ople's appointment was timed to facilitate the approval of a new bilateral agreement that covers the future construction of facilities for visiting American troops in the Philippines.

Protests have been held in the Philippines against the presence of U.S. troops

Known as the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), it has aroused skepticism among opposition lawmakers who fear it would pave the way for virtual U.S. military bases in the country.

Arroyo has insisted it should be considered an executive agreement rather than one needing legislative approval.

Ople, however, assured that the MLSA would not violate Philippine sovereignty.

"I want to make it absolutely clear that there will be no basing rights for foreign troops or facilities ... The Constitution will be fully respected," Ople said.

No apologies

Militant groups have derisively called Ople an "Amboy" (America's boy).

"I do not apologize for being a friend of the United States and an admirer of its great political and civil institutions," he has said.

"Does that make me pro-American? To a certain degree, yes. But anti-Filipino, no? Never."

Ople's appointment has widened the Arroyo administration's majority in the 24-member Senate by three, assuring her control of both houses of Congress.

"Coming from the opposition, I hope my decision to accept the President's invitation to join her Cabinet will also be a good augury for building national unity in a time of crisis," Ople said, in his farewell address to the Senate on Monday.